


Kathryn & Chakotay & The Toddler

by gijane7702



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Based on True Events, Bless the parents of toddlers, F/M, my sister will NEVER read this, this fic wrote itself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21975634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gijane7702/pseuds/gijane7702
Summary: Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay face their greatest challenge yet: her three year old niece.
Relationships: Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 72
Kudos: 113
Collections: Other Likes





	1. Prologue

A/N: Everything Cathy does I have seen done first hand...in less than 48 hours

Thanks to chakochick for the beta!

This is dedicated to the parents of toddlers...may the gods have mercy on your souls. 

December 24th, 2378

The first thing Chakotay saw when he stepped into his temporary quarters early evening on Christmas Eve was the message light blinking on his console. He had just left Tom, B’Elanna, and a few others, his sister was on her way to Earth, and he had seen or spoken to all of the crew throughout the day. Perplexed at who it could be, his finger hovered over the play button when he realized there was one person he hadn’t spoken to yet: Kathryn.

Upon their arrival in spectacular fashion into the Alpha Quadrant four days before Christmas, Starfleet Command had docked _Voyager_ at Earth Station McKinley, hurried the crew through medical examinations, and sent everyone on leave until mid-January when debriefings would begin. Those with family on Earth started a sign up to take in those without; there had been an unspoken agreement amongst the crew that the captain was to be left without the burden of entertaining while on leave. She had been slightly perplexed when no one signed up to go to Indiana with her, but had happily beamed away surrounded by her family. 

Chakotay frowned at the memory of their last encounter. Kathryn had been standing on the transporter pad with her mother and niece waiting for clearance from the Bloomington Transporter Station. He had gone running through the corridors when he was told she was leaving by the station commander. Breathless upon his arrival, Kathryn barely looked at him when she told him to have a good time in Copenhagen, then dematerialized, her image dissolving away. He hadn’t been able to say a word to her. 

She’d been avoiding him whenever possible since putting two and two together about him and Seven; but what Kathryn didn’t know was they had called an end to their “relationship” before the ship even docked. Seven wanted a fresh start and Chakotay had realized, when he’d seen the hurt in her eyes as she assigned him to the conn, that he was still in love with Kathryn. 

His frown deepened when he saw there were not one but two messages. Chakotay selected the one marked urgent first, confused when B’Elanna’s face appeared. 

_“Chakotay, I hope you listen to this message first...we know you just left...so we marked it urgent. We…”_ she paused when her husband yelled at her in the background. _“Fine...I did something bad. Captain Janeway just called and…”_ B’Elanna paused again as Tom yelled again. _“Ok...it’s not bad bad...but I let it slip you were with us, not in Copenhagen with Seven. She looked completely lost, then gave me that Look...and the whole story just kinda fell out of my mouth…I’m so so sorry...at least she knows now...”_

He closed his eyes and stopped listening as she continued to apologize. Chakotay knew that he and Kathryn were due for a long conversation about their personal relationship, but he had wanted to wait until leave was over. Kathryn needed time to find herself again. She had been Captain Janeway for so long she had forgotten how to be just Kathryn. She also needed time to be with her family, to reconnect with her mother, sister, and brother in law and meet the niece who had been born while they were in the Delta Quadrant. Eventually, B’Elanna’s voice faded and the message ended. Chakotay queued up the next message and there Kathryn was.

 _“Chakotay....we need to-”_ She grunted as a small girl landed in her lap. _“Cathy, I’m busy. Where is your mother? Phoebe!”_ When the girl turned face front, Chakotay caught his breath. Cathy was a dead ringer for Kathryn at the same age, from the auburn hair to the blue eyes to the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. _“Hi, Ko-tay,”_ she said before being lifted off her aunt’s lap. _“Mommy!”_ she bellowed, _“I talking to Ko-tay!”_ He laughed at the same stubborn look on her face that he’d seen countless times on her aunt’s. Phoebe bent down with Cathy in her arms and said, _“Katie needs saving. And you two need to talk. Tell him.”_ She laughed as her sister yelled at her to get out. " _See you soon, Chakotay!"_

Finally Kathryn was alone. She looked back at the monitor and smirked. _“I know you’re laughing yourself silly at this.”_ He was; tears of mirth were streaming down his face. _“Cathy is a force of nature. Phoebe enjoys watching me fumble with her. I need…”_ She blew out a breath. _“I need you.”_ Chakotay’s breath caught. _“I was...wrong.”_ He snorted at how long it took her to say it. _“About Seven...among other things. Phoebe’s right...don’t tell her I said that...we need to talk. Anyways, not over a message. I know it’s only 1830 in San Francisco...it’s 2130 here. But I’ll wait up...if you want to come. See you soon...I hope. Bye.”_

Chakotay heard the wistfulness in her goodbye. He glanced at the chronometer. It was now 1930; her message was an hour old. He quickly called B’Elanna, who answered immediately. Before she could utter a word he said, “I needed a transport to Indiana thirty minutes ago...you happen to know an admiral that can arrange that?” 

_“It’s already been taken care of...get your ass moving, Chakotay.”_


	2. Just Dropping In To Say Hello

Chakotay quickly threw some clothes and toiletries into a duffle bag and hightailed it to Starfleet Communications where Reg Barclay beamed him to the Bloomington Transporter Station. Kathryn was waiting for him. The transporter operator discreetly disappeared as they stood looking at each other. Finally he hopped off the pad, threw down his bag, and opened his arms. She ran into them.

They hugged for a long time before Kathryn looked up at him from under her lashes. Chakotay bent down and kissed her gently. He meant for it to be chaste, but apparently she had other ideas because he found himself up against one of the walls of the station making out with her. Eventually, they remembered where they were and managed to peel themselves off of one another. He stayed leaning against the wall trying to catch his breath while Kathryn looked on smugly. 

“Hello,” he finally said.

“Hello, yourself,” she replied. Kathryn went to say more, but he cut her off.

“It’s over...I’m sorry. I should have told you,” Chakotay told her. “Please…let’s not focus on that, let’s work on us.”

“Ok,” she said simply, holding out her hand. 

He picked up his duffle bag, then walked back over to her, and took her hand. Together they started back to where she had parked the hovercar. Kathryn showed him some of Bloomington as they walked: part of the Indiana University campus, the main street full of shops closed up for the night, and, most importantly, her favorite coffeehouse.

“It’s usually open at this hour, but since the students are all on Winter Break the owners close up earlier,” she informed him as they loaded up into the hovercar. Kathryn punched in their destination, the family farmstand, and the car took off. “We can come into town the day after tomorrow...they’ll be open again.”

“Ok,” Chakotay agreed. “I learned a long time ago to keep you caffeinated.” He chuckled at the dirty look she shot him.

Upon arrival at the farm, they were greeted by Gretchen Janeway on the porch of the main house. She hugged Chakotay close, whispering, "thank you." He squeezed her back. She then told Kathryn, “Phoebe and I made up the guest house while you were gone. We moved some of your stuff down. You’ll have more privacy there.” While Kathryn yelped, “Mom!” Chakotay just laughed. “Cathy is also finally asleep, we’ll keep her out of your hair for as long as we can tomorrow.” To Chakotay, Gretchen added, “She doesn’t let Auntie Katie out of her sight for too long.” 

“I don’t blame her for that,” he replied. Gretchen smiled at Kathryn’s blush.

Bidding Gretchen goodnight, Kathryn took his hand again and led him down a path alongside the house that would be blooming beautifully in the spring. When they turned the last corner, a small cottage, the guest house, greeted them. “Looks cozy,” Chakotay said to her.

“It has only one bedroom,” Kathryn blurted out. 

It had been nearly five years since they last slept with one another on New Earth and they had not gotten much sleep when in bed together. From the flush on her cheeks, he knew she was remembering the same thing. “One bed?” he asked as she opened the front door. 

“The couch pulls out…”

“Where do you want me to sleep?” he asked, leaving the decision to her. 

She cocked an eyebrow at him that would have made Tuvok proud. “Where do you want to sleep?” Kathryn asked him dryly, heading down the hallway towards the rear of the cottage.

“Let me rephrase my question,”Chakotay picked up his bag and followed her. “Are we actually going to sleep?”

“Nope,” she called as she entered the bedroom. “We have five years to make up for...” 

He sprinted down the remainder of the hallway. She giggled as he slammed the bedroom door closed. 

  
  


~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Chakotay was jerked out of slumber late the next morning as eighteen kilograms and a bony elbow nailed him right in the diaphragm. “Ow...” He groaned as he curled up into a ball in pain.

“HI, KO-TAY!” Cathy yelled in his ear. He pried an eye open to see Kathryn’s three and a half year old niece right up in his face. 

“Hello, Cathy,” he grunted.

“What that?” she asked, touching his tattoo. 

Kathryn, luckily dressed in at least a robe, came running out of the bathroom at that moment. “Cathy!” she bellowed. “What did you do?!” 

“I jump on Ko-Tay,” she replied proudly, pointing at the footboard. 

“How did you- How- Nevermind,” Kathyn pinched the bridge of her nose. Chakotay knew she was trying to reign in her temper. She finally asked, “Cathy, where is your mother?” 

“In the house,” she was told as Cathy snuggled up to Chakotay. He sent his thanks to all the spirits and gods that he had put on pajama bottoms after his and Kathryn’s last round of lovemaking.

“You ok?” Kathryn asked him.

“I’ll live,” he told her. Chakotay shot her a look when she bit her lip trying not to laugh. 

“You’re warm,” Cathy told him, tracing his tattoo with her fingers. Her aunt had done the exact same thing earlier that morning, but with her tongue. 

“Thanks,” he grunted. Kathryn snorted with laughter and returned to the bathroom. 

Cathy giggled. He couldn't stay mad at her...she was just too adorable. And it had been an excellent elbow drop move; the boxer in him appreciated that. 

Chakotay would soon learn how much of a complete force of nature Cathy really was.


	3. It's Not Even Noon Yet

After Chakotay managed a quick shower and a proper introduction to Cathy, the trio set off hand in hand up to the main house. As they came through the back door and into the living room, Phoebe gave her daughter a stern look that she just laughed at, then Cathy sauntered off into the kitchen calling for her grandmother. 

“We held her off as long as possible, Katie,” she told her sister. As Chakotay gingerly sat down on the opposite couch next to Kathryn, she asked him, "What did she do?"

He shot Kathryn a look when she started laughing. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I know it’s not funny.” The tears of mirth running down her face belied her words. 

Chakotay gave her a look, then turned to Phoebe. “Cathy jumped on me from the footboard,” he told her. Phoebe groaned, dropping her head into her hands. “It’s fine...I'm just a little sore.”

“Coffee!" Jonathan, Cathy’s father, called as he came into the room carrying a tray ladened with a carafe of coffee, mugs, milk, and sugar. Both he and Chakotay laughed as Kathyrn sobered up and reached eagerly for her mug. Phoebe shook her head in amusement as she sipped her own. "What happened?"

"Cathy pounced on him," his wife told him. Jonathan's wince let Chakotay know he wasn't Cathy's first victim. 

"Auntie Katie won’t be getting any tonight,” Jonathan laughed. 

“That’s not even remotely funny,” Kathryn exclaimed. She frowned when she looked at Chakotay. He just groaned slightly and held his middle. “Please…" she said to him. "You’ve boxed a Nausicaan. You’ll be just fine-”

“Have you really?” Jonathan cut in, sitting down next to Phoebe. “How’d that go?”

“I gave him a real fight...but he was my only loss while at the Academy,” Chakotay told him. Kathryn and Phoebe both rolled their eyes as the two men began discussing famous boxing matches. 

“Mommy!” Cathy bellowed from the kitchen. “Can I have chocolate milk?” 

Instead of yelling back, Phoebe got up and headed towards the kitchen. Kathryn followed her, winking at Chakotay as she left the room. He winked back, never breaking stride in his conversation with Jonathan. In the kitchen they found Cathy and Grechen, dressed in a matching aprons and caps, baking. Kathryn sniffled the air hopefully. “Chocolate caramel brownies?” she inquired. 

“Of course...they're your favorite,” her mother smiled. She smacked her daughter’s hand away as she stuck her finger in the batter.

“Yum,” Kathryn moaned, sucking the batter off her finger. “Perfection. I’d save my rations for weeks to replicate them and the damn replicator never got it quite right,” Kathryn told her.

The counselors had advised the families to encourage talk of what had happened in the Delta Quadrant. So Phoebe asked, "What do you think it was missing?" To her daughter, she said, "Slow down."

"I tried tweaking the recipe the whole time...I have no idea what it could have been. When I think of all those rations wasted…" she laughed. 

“What rations? When you lost, Auntie Katie?” Cathy asked between chugs of milk.

“Yes. When I was lost, baby,” Kathryn told her. “Replicators use lots of energy, so we didn't use them all the time. You'd earn using them...rations. That was Chaoktay’s idea, actually…” she trailed off quietly, contemplating that part of _Voyager’s_ journey. 

“I’m glad you had him, Katie. And that everyone is getting along. Speaking of, where are the boys?” Gretchen asked. Cathy coughed into her sippy cup. 

“Discussing boxing,” Phoebe told her, eyeing up her daughter as she coughed again. “Remember what happened last time, Cathy,” she advised. 

“All done!” Cathy announced, handing the sippy cup to Kathryn, who took it and placed it in the recycler. 

Cathy then coughed a third time and spit up a bit of chocolate milk. Kathryn grabbed a baking rag and wiped the floor. While she was down there, Cathy coughed again. Out of an instinct born during Velocity matches on the holodeck with Chakotay and Seven, Kathryn dodged out of the way just as Cathy threw up her chocolate milk all over the floor.

"Mommy!" she cried, reaching for Phoebe, who was immediately looking green. 

"Jonathan!" She bellowed in reply.

"Nice move," Gretchen told Kathryn as she moved to help Phoebe. Her sister was notorious for her gag reflex. Kathryn would have done anything to have been home during Cathy's diaper phase. 

"Thanks," she replied. "Kept up with my Velocity out there." To her sister she queried, "Is she going to be ok?"

"She'll be fine," Phoebe told her, breathing deeply as she took off Cathy's apron and cap. Wiping down the front of her daughter's sweater, she added, "She knows not to chug her milk…"

"...but does it anyways," Jonathan finished from the doorway. Chakotay hovered behind him.

"Ko-Tay," Cathy called, reaching for him. "I sick."

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow at him as he entered the kitchen and gingerly stepped around the mess on the floor. He picked the little girl up and asked her, "You feeling better now all that air is out of your tummy?"

"Yeah," Cathy said forlornly, resting her head on his shoulder. He stroked her back. Cathy sighed contently.

"Let's get you changed, baby," Jonathan told her. Chakotay followed him upstairs.

Gretchen and Phoebe looked at Kathryn. She took the cleaning pads from her sister and started cleaning the floor. "What?" She smirked at them. They both gave her a look. "You should have seen him on _Voyager_ with Naomi Wildman. More than one babystruck ensign followed him around." Kathryn paused as Phoebe handed her more more cleaning pads. "Best part is he had _no idea_ how sexy it was." Gretchen laughed. 

Phoebe shook her head. "So he's the big bad Maquis captain you were sent after…ooohhhh, he's so scary!" Kathryn chuckled. She and Chakotay had cracked that joke many times over the years of their journey. 

"You marry this one, Katie," Gretchen told her, pointing the wooden mixing spoon at her in emphasis.

"Yes, ma'am," Kathryn snapped to attention and saluted.


	4. One Lump Or Two

After Cathy and the kitchen were both cleaned up, everyone pitched in to prepare dinner and the remaining desserts. Kathryn was eventually reassigned to dinner, banned from the desserts because she kept eating them as they came out of the oven. Chakotay was hysterical at the sight of her grumbling as she helped her mother peel and cut potatoes. Kathryn finally saw him laughing and threw a potato at him. Cathy laughed with glee when he caught it, then at her aunt who was daring him to throw it back. He didn’t when he caught Phoebe’s glare. 

When they put the roast beef in the oven, Kathryn accidentally let it slip that Chakotay was a vegetarian, which sent Gretchen into a panic. He was ultimately able to reassure her there was plenty for him to eat, including the roast beef, after he told her the story behind why he lived that life style. 

They were all so caught up in his tale that no one saw Cathy shoving food in her mouth. When Jonathan did and told her to stop, she took it all out of her mouth and handed it to her mother. This time Phoebe’s gag reflex got the better of her and she just made it to the bathroom off the kitchen. Her mother getting sick prompted a meltdown from Cathy. Gretchen took care of Phoebe while Jonathan tried to calm Cathy. It was utter chaos for a while.

“This is exactly why we shed blood, sweat, and tears for seven years,” Chakotay whispered to Kathryn as he snuggled her into him, steering them out of the way. “This is exactly what made it all worth it.” 

“Yes,” she whispered back, taking in the scene before her. 

Kathryn turned around. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him hard. He returned the kiss. It started to turn passionate, but they were disrupted by Cathy shrieking, “Auntie Katie and Ko-Tay kissy face like Mommy and Daddy!”

“Especially for that,” Kathryn whispered to him. Chakotay chuckled as Cathy hugged the two of them around their knees. Yes, it had been worth while. 

After the huge dinner and desserts, with a roaring fire and Kathryn curled up at his side on the couch, Chakotay felt himself dozing off. He smiled as she cuddled in closer; tightening his hold on her in response. It had to be almost bedtime. Chakotay cracked an eye open and glanced at the chronometer on the mantle. Surely that couldn’t be correct?

“It’s only 1900?” he said aloud to the room in general. 

“Seriously?” Kathryn asked, sitting up. She looked at the chronometer and groaned. “I thought it was bedtime.” 

“I bet you did,” Phoebe snorted in laughter at the wink her sister gave her. 

Jonathan, beside her, joined in. “One thing you learn with a toddler is that you know _exactly_ when it’s bedtime.” Phoebe blushed at the innuendo. 

“It no bedtime!” Cathy exclaimed from the child sized table and chairs where she and Gretchen were coloring. 

“It’s caffeine time,” Gretchen said, getting up. “Not for you, for the grown ups,” she added when Cathy perked up with interest. “Why don’t you, Auntie Katie, and Ko-Tay -”

“Mother,” Kathryn cut in exasperated. “She’ll never learn-”

“Correct me when you have your own children, Kathryn,” Gretchen continued giving her older daughter a look. It was the first time anyone besides Chakotay had called her by her full given name and he was a wise enough man to remain silent. 

“You, Auntie Katie, and _Chakotay_ play Tea Time. Show them how to play,” Phoebe said to Cathy, then followed her mother to the kitchen. 

“Tea Time for me and Ko-Tay...Coffee Time for Auntie Katie,” Cathy said to them as she dug out her play tea set from the toy box under the window. Her father dodged the toys she was throwing out, collecting them into a pile to return to the box. 

“Kid knows you already,” Chakotay said to Kathryn, who looked like she was in shock. He kissed her forehead, realizing that between dinner prep and being corrected by her mother, it had been the first time in seven years that anyone had so bluntly given orders to and/or talked back to Captain Janeway. “It is a difficult name to pronounce…it’s impressive she has the hard “K” sound down...” He trailed off at the look she shot him. “Sorry” he muttered, turning away from her. 

Kathryn immediately grabbed his hand. When he turned back to face her, she looked stricken. “I’m sorry,” she whispered against his lips, kissing him passionately. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he whispered back to her, initiating another kiss. 

They broke apart when Cathy exclaimed, “Ew...” Jonathan rolled his eyes at them as he finished putting the toys away. He then helped her set up the tea set at her table.

Chakotay planted another loud kiss on Kathryn before turning to Cathy and saying, “Did you know that all of Auntie Katie’s crew on _Voyager_ quickly learned not to talk to her before she had her first cup of coffee?” Cathy giggled when Kathryn groaned dramatically. “And if there was an emergency in the middle of the night, I was the one responsible for getting her coffee as soon as possible.” 

“You lost too, Ko-Tay?” Cathy asked sadly, her eyes huge.

“Yes, I was lost with Auntie Katie,” he told her. 

“And now they’re found, baby,” Phoebe said as she and Gretchen came back in ladened down with trays. Chakotay jumped up and took the tray from Gretchen while Jonathan, a step behind him, took the tray from his wife. “You know Auntie Katie was the captain. Chakotay was…uuummm...” She struggled to explain the concept of the role of the first officer to a toddler as she made up a mug of coffee up for everyone.

“Auntie Katie was number one...I was number two,” Chakotay tried explaining as he took Kathryn’s coffee mug and handed it to her. He sighed when he realized what he had said, a split second before Cathy started laughing. Kathryn choked on her coffee

“You number two,” she giggled. Looking at her mother, she announced, “I have to potty!”

“You walked right into that, Chakotay,” Phoebe told him as she and Cathy headed towards the kitchen.

Gretchen laughed. “You’ll learn quickly, especially with Cathy around. Just in time for your own babies.”

It was Chakotay’s turn to choke on his coffee. That set Kathryn off laughing again. “I noticed neither of you deny wanting children,” Gretchen said to them. 

They both looked at one another, silently communicating with each other like the did so many times on _Voyager_. Then they both shrugged. Finally, Kathryn said, “Let us get through debriefings first. Then we can talk weddings then babies.” Gretchen squealed with delight. 

Phoebe came running into the living room. “What’d I miss?” 

“Debriefings then weddings then babies,” her husband told her. “Where’s Cathy?” 

“Here I am,” she declared, sauntering into the room and sitting back down at her table. “All done! I wash my hands.”

“See. It took forever to get her to potty and wash her hands. But she does it now. Practice makes perfect in _everything_ ,” Phoebe told Kathryn while Chakotay blushed.

“Hope your boosters are up to date,” Jonathan joked. When both Kathryn and Chakotay’s eyes went wide, he added, “Looks like we might do baby and wedding first, and then debriefings.” 

“I was in Mommy’s belly,” Cathy announced from her table. “I came out from her vagina.”

Dead silence filled the room until Kathryn began snickering. Looking at Chakotay she lost it completely at the look of horror on his face. Jonathan had his head in his hands while Gretchen was crying tears of laughter. “Yes, you did, baby,” Phoebe told her daughter. “You’re such a smart girl.” 

Still laughing, Kathryn stood up. Chakotay instinctively did as well. When she looked at him perplexed he muttered “sorry” and sat back down. Kathryn tilted his chin up, pecked a kiss on his lips, and whispered to him, “You were my perfect first officer.” He grinned bashfully, full set of dimples on display. She licked one of them and whispered, “I wanted to do that for seven years.” He winked at her. 

Straightening up, she said, “I’m going to place a call to Starfleet Medical. Hopefully The Doctor can make a house call.” 

When Gretchen asked her why, Kathryn gave her a look. “It’s been less than twenty four hours. I don’t care how advanced twenty fourth century medicine is or how good of a doctor he is, there’s _no way_ to tell this early.” 

Kathryn looked ready to argue, but seemed to decide against it. She flopped back down on the couch, putting her head in his lap. Chakotay began to wonder what was going on with her, but before he could ask her, Jonathan, who had excused himself, called from the kitchen, “Cathy sweetie, please tell Daddy that this is chocolate all over the bathroom.”


	5. Why Is It Orange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SORRY an update in forever...Real Life has been CRAZY since the 28th. It's finally settling down.
> 
> So, I wrote a nice long chapter for you. Thanks for continuing to read!

While Jonathan conferred with Phoebe as to the origin of the substance in the bathroom, Chakotay took Gretchen aside to let her know he was taking Kathryn back to the guest house soon. Gretchen was hesitant at first to tell him that Kathryn had been contrary since coming home. The families were told to expect that, but it had really ramped up since he had arrived. After Gretchen told him that, all the pieces fell into place for Chakotay.

After the substance in the bathroom was finally identified as harmless chocolate from stolen cookies and everything was tidied up, Chakotay rounded up Kathryn and they bid everyone goodnight. Cathy wasn't happy that they were going to bed early since she still wanted to play Tea Time with them. Halfway to the guest house, they heard her melting down. 

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, sweetheart,” Kathryn said to him as they cuddled together for warmth while walking down the path. “I love you so much...but I'm not ready for all that yet.” She waved her hand back towards the house as Cathy started screaming, “No! No! Noooooo!"

Chakotay's lips twitched as he tried not to smile. Taking her hand and kissing it, he told her, “And as much as I love you...neither am I.” When she grinned, he added, “I think the goals we laid out are good: let’s get through debriefings and whatever else they’re planning. Get married. Have a baby in a few...decades.” 

Kathryn laughed, wholeheartedly agreeing as she opened the door to the guest house. “You want a nightcap?” she asked him, walking over to the liquor cabinet. 

He hung up their winter jackets, thought about it, and with a grin said to her, “Should you be drinking right now?”

Kathryn ignored him as she sloshing a few fingers each of whisky into two glasses. “I’d ask you to start a fire…” she trailed off. 

Chakotay gave her a look that she chuckled at as he knelt in front of the fireplace. Laying the logs then the firestarter, he struck a match. As the fire caught, he asked, “So...are we going to talk about what's wrong as a couple? Or do I have to guess like I did when I was your first officer.” He stood up and turned to face her.

She was curled up on the couch. Holding out his glass to him, Kathryn said, “One: you’re still my first officer,” she laughed at the face he made as he sat down. She cuddled up next to him and continued, “Two: I miss them.” 

“The crew,” Chakotay said, more a statement than a question.

“Yes. I miss our family,” she told him, putting her drink down and laying her head in his lap.

"That's what I figured." She smiled up at him.

“Don’t get me wrong. Being home is amazing. With my mother and sister and Jonathan. Meeting Cathy; she’s a fantastic handful.” 

"A force of nature," he murmured. 

“Being here with you, like this. Able to show you how I feel...I really thought this would never happen." Kathryn nuzzled his leg and he began stroking her hair. "But...I've been feeling off-kilter since we burst out of that Borg sphere. Everything is so....” 

“Surreal,” Chakotay finished for her. 

“Yes, exactly! I’ve dreamed for seven years of getting home; of making brownies with my mother and cooking with Phoebe...well, helping Phoebe cook…” She swatted his leg when he chuckled. “But actually doing it _and_ then having you there on top of that all, so…”

“Surreal,” he repeated. When she nodded, he added, “I bet you’re not the only one feeling that way. I know I am...about being home. And especially about being with you. I thought _we_ would never happen.” Chakotay paused, kissing her hand, then said, “We have no plans but the coffee date for tomorrow, correct?” 

“Correct,” Kathryn confirmed. 

“Your family is free?” he asked. When she shrugged, he told her, “Comm the house and ask. I need to call someone.” She sat upright, questioningly as he got up off the couch. Heading into the kitchen were the communications console was, Chakotay added, “Give me a bit.”

Kathryn confirmed with her family that they had no plans for tomorrow. She relayed that information to him, then impatiently waited for him to return to the living room. When he eventually did, she looked at him expectantly. He teased her for a bit by not saying anything. When she playfully smacked him, Chakotay said, “How about a trip to San Francisco tomorrow?”

Her whole face lit up. “Yes!” she shrieked, hugging him. “That’s exactly what I...we...need. You are a genius!” Kathryn planted a kiss on his lips that he quickly turned passionate. 

After slowly making love to her, Chakotay gathered Kathryn in his arms and said, “I had a feeling we weren’t the only ones feeling off-kilter. Admiral Paris told me that in the past few days over half of the crew have found their way back to San Francisco.”

“Oh my…” Kathryn gasped.

“He’s been busy arranging living quarters and counselors for them. Besides Tom, B’Elanna, and Miral, he has Harry and The Doctor staying with them. Seven’s still with her family, but even she and Icheb have been making noise about ‘returning to their collective’.” Kathryn smiled. “After we see everyone, Admiral Paris has arranged for you to show your family _Voyager_.” 

She looked up at him. "How'd he do that?!" 

"Apparently the XO of Earth Station McKinley is a Commander Jessica Delaney...Megan and Jenny's aunt."

Kathryn looked at him then burst into tears. At the look of panic on his face, she managed to get out, “Good tears. Thank you so much, my love.” 

“Let’s go to bed, sweetheart. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.” As they gathered their clothes strewn around the living room, they walked down the hallway hand in hand towards the bedroom. 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Around mid-morning, Chakotay and Kathryn, hand in hand, walked up the path to house in the new style uniform. She understood why he had replicated and packed a uniform; several consecutive days in civilian clothing had started to feel unnatural. Cathy and Phoebe greeted them on the rear porch with coffee while Gretchen and Jonathan were inside cooking breakfast. 

“Good morning, Captain, Commander,” Gretchen greeted them teasingly as they all stomped inside. She laughed when Chakotay saluted her. 

“We go San Sisco!” Cathy yelped at Kathryn, running in circles. “Then we go Voy’er!” 

She giggled as her aunt grabbed her and started tickling her. "Do you want to see Auntie Katie's ship?" Kathryn asked her. 

"Yes!" Cathy shrieked.

"Breakfast," Gretchen announced. Kathryn let go of a hysterical Cathy and sat down at the table with Chakotay.

“She’s a little excited,” Jonathan said, sliding their food in front of them. Cathy started shrieking as Phoebe wrangled her and attempted to clean breakfast off of her face. “Though I will admit...I’m also very excited.” Gretchen and Phoebe nodded their agreement. A disgruntled but clean Cathy climbed into Kathryn's lap. 

“I can’t wait to show _Voyager_ to you,” Kathryn told them. When Chakotay told her to eat, she shot him a look but adjusted her niece and ate breakfast. 

After tidying up, they piled into the hovercar and headed to town. Parking in an all day lot, Kathryn and Chakotay quickly became aware of the attention they were drawing as they walked to the transport station. “You’re _Voyager_ ’s captain and first officer. Coming home how and when you did was nothing short of a miracle," Gretchen told them as they queued up. Both of them blushed. "And a Christmas miracle on top of that. Which is what this planet...this quadrant...needed; a miracle to boost morale. It's been a rough couple of years." 

As people continued to stare, Chakotay tried to let go of Kathryn’s hand, but she wouldn’t let him. Eventually they compromised by linking pinky fingers under their overcoats. “Don’t worry about that,” Gretchen told them. “I know exactly how Command is going to spin your relationship.” When Kathryn looked curious, she was told, “You both wound up falling in love with your enemy."

"I suppose," Kathryn said slowly.

"Star crossed lovers…" Gretchen rolled her eyes when her daughter still looked perplexed. 

"You're basically Romeo and Juliet,” Jonathan told them.

Kathryn groaned while Chakotay said dryly, “I hope we get a happier ending than those two.” 

"What happen Womeo and Julie?" Cathy asked.

"Long story," Jonathan told her. Phoebe snorted with laughter.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

One transport and a hovercar ride later, they were knocking on the door of the Paris's painted lady rowhouse in Alamo Square. Tom answered the door with his six day old daughter tucked under his chin. Before he could greet his command team, Cathy squealed with delight.

"Mommy! Baby!" She bellowed, pointing at Miral, who stirred but didn't wake.

"Sleeping baby," Phoebe told her as they all entered. "We need to use our indoor voice. Tell Lieutenant Paris you're sorry."

"Sor-wee" Cathy grinned at him. Tom grinned back. As everyone settled in the living room she introduced everyone to him,"I'm Cathy. That Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Auntie Katie, and Ko-Tay."

"Not a word, Paris," Chakotay ordered before Tom could say anything. He remained silent. Chakotay was immediately suspicious.

"Yes, sir, Commander Ko-Tay, sir," came from the doorway. Looking over he gave B'Elanna a look that she just laughed at. Tom kept his laughter as quiet as possible as she walked up to him and took their daughter.

"It’s good to see you, Captain. Here you go... practice on your goddaughter." B'Elanna handed her Miral. "She's a quarter Klingon...she's a lot stronger than she looks," she added as Kathryn gingerly arranged her. 

“Baby!” Cathy squealed quitely, climbing into Chakotay’s lap. 

B'Elanna took one look at Cathy and said, "Captain Junior." She smiled when Phoebe snorted. Cathy smirked at B'Elanna, exactly like her aunt. 

"You pretty," Cathy told her. B'Elanna thanked her, all the while blushing from the compliment. 

"Miral’s pretty too," Kathryn told her niece, who leaned over and gently kissed baby's slight forehead ridges. "And she smells... delicious."

"That's talcum powder. Chakotay uses it as well," B'Elanna told her. "My baby does not smell delicious, he does. My baby smells like a baby." Chakotay chuckled.

"How do you know he uses talcum powder?" Kathryn asked her playfully. 

"If you think _Voyager_ was a small ship…" B'Elanna began.

"The _Val Jean_ was even smaller," Chakotay finished. 

"What Val John?" Cathy asked. 

"My ship. I had to destroy her so _Voyager_ could get away from some very bad people," he told her.

"I sor-wee," Cathy told him sadly, cuddling up to him. Chakotay kissed her head and cuddled her back.

"She was a good ship," B'Elanna sighed, sitting on a loveseat next to Tom. "Old...but she gave us all of what she had."

"You lost too, Lanna?" Cathy asked her. 

“Lost…?” B’Elanna questioned.

“It's how we explained where Auntie Katie was,” Phoebe told her. “Cathy kept asking to meet her in person…” 

"Who lost? Auntie Katie, Ko-Tay, Lanna..." Her eyes went wide as Tom, as well as Harry and The Doctor, who were hovering in the doorway, raised their hands. 

"Give her brown eyes and black hair and you'll have a Baby Janeway," The Doctor said as he entered the living room. "Captain, Commander, it's good to see you both."

"What is it with people trying to have us have a baby already? We've been home six days and together like two," Kathryn asked Chakotay, who shrugged. When everyone looked at her, she corrected herself, "Officially two days." Chakotay chuckled. "Debriefings. Wedding. Baby... eventually. Correct, Commander?"

"Correct, Captain," he confirmed. 

"Sounds like a reasonable plan," Harry said, sitting in an armchair by the door. 

"Coffee," Owen Paris called as he and his wife, Julia, entered the room. Each carrying trays ladened with a coffee service. Harry jumped up immediately and took the tray from Mrs Paris. 

"And chocolate milk," Julia added. Cathy beamed.

"You heard what Sam Wildman's husband did?" B'Elanna asked Kathryn as she took Miral from her captain and handed her off to her husband. She took her and the captain's mugs from her mother in law, handing Kathryn hers. When the captain shook her head no, she was told, "He re-proposed...had a new ring for Sam and one for Naomi. He's arranged for them to renew their vows on New Year’s Day." 

"Going to be damn hard to top that," Chakotay muttered as every woman in the room sighed at the romantic gesture.

"Planning something, sweetheart?" She teased, pecking a kiss on his lips.

"Maybe, baby" he replied with a wink, kissing her back.

They both blushed as their staff sighed. "Sorry," Kathryn mumbled.

"Oh no! Those were happy sighs!" B'Elanna told them. "We're all thrilled you got us home...but we're even more thrilled that you can finally be together." 

"That goes for all of us...even at Command," Admiral Paris told them with a wink. "Now... let's finish up our coffee and go see your crew."

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

They tried to enter unnoticed into the large social room of the temporary housing quarters where their crew had gathered. People were clustered in groups, some just chatting, others playing games. There were many family members present. Vorik spotted Kathryn and Chakotay; they tried to stop him, but the Vulcan, with an uncharacteristic excitement at seeing his command team, called them out.

"Captain on the deck," he bellowed. Vorik then caught sight of Admiral Paris. He morphed back into his usual aloof self and said, "I beg your pardon, Admiral."

"It's fine, Ensign." The admiral waved him off. "It's not me you want to see."

The entire crew had automatically risen to their feet. Gerron scratched his ball; it jumped off the pool table and went flying. Vorik caught it before it hit Cathy. 

"Nice catch," Gretchen told him. Harry agreed. 

"Thank you, Mrs Janeway," he said serenely. B’Elanna rolled her eyes at Tom. 

Kathryn and Chakotay were surrounded by their crew, everyone talking excitedly at them at once. Each tried to pay attention to every conversation but it was overwhelming. Kathryn subconsciously knew their crew was no danger, but she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people surrounding them. The captain knew that she had always been backed up by her first officer, who as usual was standing stoically at her left shoulder, not moving but ready if needed. 

However, their relationship had changed since coming home. Chakotay the lover, not the first officer, now stood beside her. Feeling protective, he wrapped an arm around Kathryn's waist and pulled her gently into his body, shielding her while giving her strength. She took his hands and held them in her own. It wasn't much, but it was enough that their crew noticed. Everyone fell silent and backed up a bit, giving them a bit of space as everyone realized the shift in the relationship of their command team. Mike Ayala was the one who broke the silence.

"It's about time," he told them, grinning. "Good for you." Since Chakotay had known Ayala almost ten years he knew that he wasn't being insubordinate; he was being encouraging. “Captain, come meet my sons. Commander, you haven't seen them since they were…" he caught sight of Cathy, "the little captain’s size. She smirked at him. “Wow...that’s...genetics at work.” Kathryn chuckled.

They followed Ayala over to two preteenage boys. As he introduced her to them, the captain said, “You were saying about genetics, Lieutenant,” waving at the younger boy, who grinned at her. 

“Captain! Commander!” Naomi shrieked as she ran across the room and jumped up into Chakotay’s arms. “Come meet my father!” 

Kathryn glanced at Ayala, who waved her away. She caught Gretchen’s eye as they crossed them room; she nodded encouragingly. Kathryn’s family, The Doctor, and Mrs Paris were seated on one of the many couches scattered throughout the room, surrounded by some crew who were talking to them. Admiral Paris, Tom, and B’Elanna were chatting with another group. Harry has joined the group at the ping pong table.

Kathryn and Chakotay worked the whole room together, going from group to group, meeting many of the crew’s family members as they made their way to Naomi's family. Everyone was extremely pleased that _Voyager_ was home but even more pleased that their command team could finally express their love for one another. Finally they made it across the room.

Lieutenant Greskrendtregk, Naomi’s father, broke all sorts of protocol when he enveloped Kathryn into a bear hug. Squeezing her tight, he whispered, “thank you,” into her ear before letting go and greeted Chakotay, who passed Naomi over to Sam before also being hugged. 

Sam caught Kathryn’s eye but before she could say anything, her captain told her, “There’s no rank today.” Gres began stuttering an apology when he realized he had hugged a captain and a commander. Kathryn held up a hand to silence him. “Today, we’re just family,” she said loudly for everyone to hear. The crew cheered at her words. 

"A most logical statement," Tuvok pronounced from the doorway. 

Kathryn grinned at him, crossing the room with Chakotay right on her heels. She stopped short of hugging him, asking, "How are you, my friend?"

"I am well, Captain, Commander," he replied. Indicating the young man to his left, he continued, "My son, Sek, arrived at Starfleet Medical two days ago, along with my family. We immediately began treatment and it is progressing well." Tuvok paused, then added, "You remember my wife, T'Pel, Captain…"

"Yes, of course," Kathryn smiled at her, receiving a nod in return. 

As Tuvok introduced Chakotay to T'Pel and they exchanged pleasantries, a little Vulcan girl squirmed her way through the throng of adults and planted herself in front of Kathryn.

"Hello. I am T'Meni," she introduced herself before Tuvok could stop her.

"Hello, T'Meni, I'm Kath...er, Captain Janeway," Kathryn replied, smiling at her. "She's absolutely adorable, Tuvok," she told the little girl's grandfather.

Cathy's head popped out between her aunt's legs. "Hi! I'm Cathy! This is my auntie."

T'Meni and Cathy looked each other up and down, then grinned at each other. Tuvok and Kathryn exchanged worried glances as the two girls ran off, chatting with each other. 

"That's going to be an interesting combination," Chakotay said to T'Meni's family. 

"Maybe Cathy will be a good influence on…" Sek trailed off as he saw Cathy showing T'Meni how to pile cushions up then jump onto them, which she promptly did. B'Elanna quickly intercepted them and they ran off to cause more chaos, Naomi and some of the crew's children following their lead.

"We were just hoping your daughter would be a good influence on mine," Phoebe said as she and Jonathan approached. "Looks like another generation of our families will be lifelong friends." 

Kathryn and Tuvok exchanged knowing glances. The Vulcan then noticed that Chakotay was holding her hand. He raised an eyebrow at both of them then asked, "Who won the bet?"

"What bet?" Kathryn asked in a low voice. "Thomas!" She yelled.

Tom turned around. "Yes, Captain?" He asked.

"What bet is Mr Tuvok speaking of?" She asked, once again in a low voice. 

Tuvok shot Tom an apologetic look before masking his emotions again. Tom looked perplexed. "Bet?"

Kathryn held up her and Chakotay's hands. "This bet."

"That bet was not me! It was Harry!" Tom looked around for him. "Harry…?"

"I found him," Cathy called, pointing at Harry halfway behind a large planter. Chakotay snorted. 

"Ensign," Kathryn called. 

"I thought there was no rank today…" B'Elanna trailed off when Kathryn shot her a look. "Sorry, Starfleet, I tried."

"Well, Mr Kim?" Kathryn demanded. "Who won?"

Harry edged out from behind the planter. "I...ah...I just happened to look it up after Chakotay left for Indiana. Let's just say there's a reason Tuvok asked…"

Chakotay lost it. He burst out laughing. Kathryn elbowed him, right in the diaphragm where Cathy had landed him. He grunted in pain. Kathryn told him to suck it up before asking, "Et tu, Tuvok?" 

Chakotay tried his hardest to keep a straight face. "Captain?" The Vulcan deadpanned. 

"Ha!" Tom called. "We all wanted you to get together… but especially Tuvok. He was your biggest supporter."

Tuvok looked anywhere but at his command team. Chakotay knew Kathryn was touched; he was as well. He could tell by the smile playing on her lips she was going to tease him about it. Tuvok's salvation came from the most unusual of places: his granddaughter.

One of the large planters came crashing down. Half of the room covered down while the other half turned towards the noise, ready to act. Cathy and T'Meni were both standing next to it, the little human pointing at the little Vulcan. 

"Sorry," T'Meni said in a voice that clearly indicated that she wasn't. 

"Oh gods, they're going to put us in early graves," Jonathan moaned to T'Meni's mother, who clearly was trying to keep control of her emotions. 

"Indeed," Sek concurred. Phoebe snorted.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

After spending the morning and lunchtime with the crew, Kathryn, Chakotay, and her family said their goodbyes. T'Meni had been vocal about wanting to spend time with Cathy, so Kathryn, with her parents' permission, took her with them. They would return her after the tour of _Voyager_. 

Admiral Paris was going to join them, but got called away to his office to arrange for quarters for more crew members that had arrived today, including Seven and Icheb. Before they transported away, he told Kathryn, "Commander Delaney will greet you in Transporter Room One. She's allowing...wrong word, but you know what I mean...you free reign of the ship. Once you're done just comm her and she'll beam back with you." 

Gretchen looked perplexed at her older daughter as they piled onto the transporter pads. "Isn't _Voyager_ still yours?"

"Yes. But I'm on leave and the ship is docked, so the station technically has command of her."

"We go see my auntie's ship," Cathy told the transporter chief, who smiled indulgently at the little girl. 

"Captain, Commander, welcome home.” When her console beeped, she added, _"Voyager_ is ready for transport."

"Energize," Kathryn commanded while nodding her thanks at her.

They rematerialized on board and were greeted by Commander Delaney. She was an older version of her nieces. "Welcome... home...back?" She paused to contemplate the correct word as everyone piled off the pads. 

"Go with home," Chakotay told her. "It's a blanket statement." 

"Cathy! T'Meni! Get away from that," Phoebe yelled. The two little girls had pulled out the panel housing the pattern buffers and were playing with the relays. 

They shoved the relays back in pell mell, then ran back over to the adults. Commander Delaney and the ensign on duty fought to keep a straight face. Finally the commander told them, "We'll get that sorted before we beam back. I've temporarily commandeered one of the Sciences offices on Deck Eleven for myself, so just comm me when you're ready to go." She looked at the girls, who just stared back. "Behave," she told them, chucking as she left as the two exchanged glances then smirked.

"We haven't even left the Transporter Room," Kathryn muttered to Chakotay, who squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

"Where is our tour starting?" Jonathan asked his sister-in-law. 

"The Bridge would be the most logical place to start," T'Meni suggested serenely. Kathryn eyed her up and down and was startled when the little Vulcan smiled back at her. 

She exchange glances with Chakotay, who just shrugged, then decided, "The Bridge it is. Out the door, take a left. Turbolift is about twenty meters down on the right." 

The two girls led the way out. Kathryn and Chakotay were the last to leave. As they followed down the corridor, she whispered, "I was thinking about letting them wander around by themselves so we could...christen…my Ready Room. However…"

He cocked a suggestive eyebrow at her, but knew they couldn't. "Damn kids." Kathryn snorted gently. "And one of them's Vulcan. Oh well... we'll get around to that soon. All over."

"What are you two whispering about 'all over'?" Phoebe, right in front of them, asked.

"About having sex all over our ship," Kathryn replied. 

"Hells yeah, Katie!" Chakotay laughed at Phoebe's approval. "Unfortunately, not right now. But soon." She wanted to say more, but they had arrived at the turbolift. She settled for winking at them. 

They all squeezed in. No one said anything as they ascended to Deck One, but everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they all stumbled out on the Bridge. 

"It's bigger than I imagined," Gretchen told her daughter as they wandered around. 

"That was my first reaction also," Kathryn told her. "T'Meni," she called to her. "This is the Tactical Station where your grandfather worked." The little Vulcan scrambled over to her and climbed up into the chair. She hit a bunch of buttons on the console and it started beeping. "No!" the captain yelped. "You just armed the phasers!" She quickly hit a few buttons, disarming them, then called to the station to report that it had been accidental.

"I'm sorry," T'Meni blinked at her. Hopping down, she joined Cathy and Phoebe at the Science Station.

Chakotay was standing at the Engineering Station with Jonathan. They two of them were shaking silently with laughter. Gretchen, sitting in Kathryn's command chair, was laughing outright. 

"Oh my God," the captain muttered, dropping her head in her hands. "Ok. Enough of the Bridge. Where to next? Deck Two has the Mess Hall and Galley, what used to be my dining room. Deck Three consists of mine and Chakotay's quarters…"

"Let's see your quarters, Katie," Gretchen said.

When her grandmother stood up, Cathy hopped into her aunt's chair. Sitting in it, she crossed her legs and leaned on the arm, just like Kathryn had done. "You sit, Ko-Tay," she commanded, pointing at his chair. He grinned at Kathryn, who smiled back, then crossed the Bridge to take his seat.

"That's adorable." She then noticed her sister was taking images. "Oh! You have a holo-imager, Phoebe. Can I get a copy of just her, then of the two of them?" 

"Of course. Look at this." Cathy had climbed out of the captain's chair, across the computer console, and into Chakotay's lap. "That is adorable." Phoebe chuckled when Chakotay shot her a look. "I'll just get you a copy of all of-." 

Wailing klaxtons cut her off. Cathy stopped hitting buttons and shrieked. "I'm sorry!" Chakotay immediately consulted the console, then hit a few buttons, canceling the Red Alert. 

_"Delaney to Janeway,"_ the captain's communicator chirped. _"Ummmmm...everything ok, ma'am?"_

Kathryn slammed her communicator. "Everything's fine, Commander. Sorry about that," she apologized in a seething tone as she shot Cathy a glare. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she added, "It won't happen again. Janeway out."

Her niece must have known she was in trouble because she wrapped her arms around Chakotay's neck and buried her face in his chest and started to cry. Kathryn immediately felt horrified. "I'm sorry, baby," she cried as she ran up to the XO's chair and knelt. 

"Cathy," Chakotay said quietly. When the little girl didn't reply, he said louder, "Catherine." She looked up at him. He wiped her tears away. "That's not Auntie Katie right now who is angry. That's Captain Janeway." Cathy turned to look at Kathryn, who smiled wobbly, her eyes bright with her own tears. "You know that the captain's first and most important job is to protect her ship and crew. That's what she was doing." 

"I'm sorry," Cathy pleaded at her aunt with big blue eyes. "We won't touch anything else unless you say we can."

"I am sorry, also," T'Meni added as she approached holding Phoebe's hand. 

Kathyrn smiled at her niece. "Thank you for apologizing, both of you. And I'm sorry I got mad at you." She held her arms out and Cathy crawled into them. Kathryn gave Chakotay a quick kiss of thanks. Standing up, she held Cathy on her hip and took his hand. As they made their way to the turbolift, she mumbled to her sister as everyone piled in, "Sorry I snapped at your kid," 

"Deck Three," was Chakotay's command to the lift. 

Phoebe leaned in towards Kathryn and whispered into her ear, "He's a natural...have lots of his babies." In her normal voice, as her sister blushed, she said, "It's all right. You reacted as a captain should. I would have flipped after the phasers." T'Meni made a whimpering sound, but didn't say anything. "They both shouldn't have been touching anything in the first place. Correct, ladies?" 

"Correct," both girls chorused. 

The doors hissed open and everyone piled out. After a tour of Kathryn's quarters, they went to Chakotay's. There was a moment when Cathy almost touched his boxing gloves, but she held back. She was rewarded by him with allowing her to try them on. At his prompting, Cathy swung at Chakotay, but he dodged it professionally. T'Meni looked impressed.

"She has a pretty mean swing," Chakotay told Jonathan as they made their way to the holodecks. "You should start her on a sport soon."

"Not tennis," Kathryn muttered under her breath. He chuckled at her, then kissed her hand.

After visiting Vulcan, Mars, and a few other planets via the holodeck, they headed towards Deck Ten and the _Delta Flyer_. Jonathan, who worked in ship design, exclaimed all about it, inside and out. Kathryn made a mental note for him to spend some time with Tom. 

On Deck Eleven the command team showed off Engineering. Even though _Voyager_ was now seven years old and had 75,000 light years of wear and tear on her, she was still one of the most advanced ships in Starfleet. Kathryn added B'Elanna and Seven to Jonathan's Dream Team. She imagined between all of them, with Phoebe's artwork, they'd design quite a ship. 

Chakotay commed Commander Delaney before they trooped down to her office. Jenny and Megan's aunt smiled at how perfectly behaved Cathy and T'Meni were...now. They all beamed back down to Earth after the girls apologized to the ensign on duty and the transporter chief who had to reset all of the buffer relays.

Kathryn was greeted by Tuvok in the social room. "How did the tour go?" he asked. 

The captain's lips twitched. She buried her face in Chakotay's chest and burst out laughing. He chuckled, holding her close. Phoebe and Jonathan groaned. Gretchen walked away shaking her head. 

Tuvok raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, T'Meni piped up with, "I armed the phasers like you did, Grandfather. And Cathy sounded Red Alert like her Auntie Katie did. We're going to have our own _Voyager_ one day."

"I imagine Starfleet can hardly wait for you to graduate," Tuvok told her. Luckily, the girls missed his sarcasm.

"Starfleet's not going to know what hit them with these two," Chakotay muttered into Kathryn's ear. She laughed so hard she snorted. 

Holding onto him, the captain looked around the room. Her crew was safe, her family was here, and she could finally show Chakotay how much she loved him. Kathryn didn't feel off-kilter anymore.

Until Phoebe came bouncing back over to her. "Your senior staff is coming back to the house with us. Doc has been collecting holo-images of your journey from the crew along with his own. I say we break into Mom's liquor cabinet and get sloshed and look at them."

Kathryn looked up at Chakotay, he just shrugged and said, "I do what you do, just one step behind." 

She sighed, knowing from the determined look on her sister's face that they were all going to wake up hungover in the morning. 

"Just go with it... cause that's what you look like when you've set your mind to something," Chakotay told her matter of factly. 

"Indeed," Tuvok agreed. 

"I hate both of you," Kathryn muttered.

"No you don't," Chakotay laughed, kissing her. 

"No, I don't." She looked over at Tuvok.

"I am not kissing you," he told her. 

Kathryn blinked at him, then started laughing. "I can't believe you just cracked a joke, Tuvok."

"Neither can I."


	6. Shenanigans

Chakotay chuckled at the serious expression on Tuvok's face; he really was surprised that he had cracked a joke. T'Pel looked amused at her husband as much as a Vulcan wife could. Kathryn buried her face in Chakotay's chest again, wrapping her arms around him, and laughed. 

A colorful movement at the doorway caught his eye. He gasped as he took in the sight of his sister scanning the room for him. Sekaya wasn't due on Earth for another few days according to the shuttle schedule. 

Kathryn looked up at him when his body had froze. She followed his gaze to the doorway. "Stupid question…" she stated. "Your sister?" He looked down at her, nodding in the affirmative.

Sekaya squealed when she finally spotted him. Dropping her bag she ran across the room towards him. Kathryn disentangled herself from him and stepped aside just in time for Chakotay to catch his sister in a hug. "Don't go anywhere," Kathryn was ordered. 

The siblings, who hadn't seen each other in person in nearly ten years stood holding each other for a long time. When they finally broke apart both had tears streaming down their faces. "You look fantastic, Chakotay," Sekaya told him, squishing his cheeks. He grinned at her. Turning towards Kathryn, she prompted, "And this is..."

He grinned at both of them. "Sekaya, this is Kathryn Janeway, my captain and, more importantly, the love of my life." Sekaya squeaked out a happy peep. Kathryn blushed. "Kathryn, my sister, Sekaya." Chakotay grunted as he was pushed aside when Sekaya gathered Kathryn into a hug.

Kathryn was startled at first, but quickly embraced the woman. A few tears slipped down her face when Sekaya whispered into her ear, "Thank you for bringing him home safe. I've never seen him so…" She trailed off, searching for the correct word. 

"Peaceful," Kathryn whispered back. 

"Yes, exactly!" Sekaya went to say something but paused, looking over Kathryn's shoulder. "I didn't think you had a child."

Kathryn chuckled, knowing she meant Cathy. "She is _most_ _definitely_ not mine." She broke the embrace and, grabbing her hand, pulling Sekaya over to her where her family had stood up. Chakotay followed. "Sekaya, this is my mother, Gretchen, my sister Phoebe, and my brother-in-law, Jonathan. And that," she pointed down at Cathy who grinned up at her, "is my niece, Cathy."

"My sister, Sekaya," Chakotay introduced her to the Janeway/Carmichael clan. Phoebe threw herself at Sekaya. Embracing, both women looked over at their older siblings and grinned. 

"Why am I suddenly terrified?" Kathryn asked Chakotay, taking his hand.

"I am too," he replied.

"I think you should be," Jonathan told them, laughing. Both groaned in anticipation of what was to come.

"Mommy!" Cathy bellowed. "I wanna hug Ko-Tay sister!"

"Indoor voice!" both parents told her. 

"What else do you say?" Phoebe added. 

Cathy pouted for a second, then added, "Please."

Sekaya bent down and scooped her up. "Hi," she said to Cathy, who grinned in response. Looking over at her brother she said, "If she had dark hair-"

"We've heard it already," Chakotay cut her off. Kathryn snorted with laughter. "Debriefings. Wedding. Babies... eventually."

"Babies? I thought it was a...as in one...baby," Kathryn said to him, raising an eyebrow. "Just how many are you planning on?"

"Two" he replied at the same time she said four. "Four?!" He yelped. Sekaya and Phoebe started laughing. "If you want that many maybe we should have started-" He stopped talking when he saw she had joined their siblings' laughter. "That wasn't funny, Kathryn! I nearly had a heart attack."

"A doctor could have revived you," Sekaya cried, holding onto Phoebe. "Totally worth it; the look on your face was classic, Ko-Tay." She laughed harder as he made a face at her over Cathy's name for him. "Oh!" she laughed. "I have to sit down. My stomach hurts." She plopped down on the couch, taking a giggling Cathy with her. 

Chakotay shook his head at Kathryn, who was still laughing. They both looked over as B'Elanna walked up to them. "Hi. Hate to break up the party-"

"You were with my brother's Maquis cell," Sekaya cut her off. B'Elanna nodded affirmation. "I remember you. Actually," she looked around the room, "I remember quite a few of you." She smiled as a few of the former Maquis waved at her. Turning back to B'Elanna she apologized with, "I'm sorry… you were saying?"

"We're heading back to Indiana for what I can't believe I'm now calling Grown Up Time," she told Sekaya while bouncing Miral slightly. "Doc has a ton of holo-images from the… um… journey. Everyone but me," B'Elanna made a face, "is getting drunk while we look at them. " 

"How old?" Sekaya asked, indicating the baby.

"A week tomorrow." When Sekaya's eyes went wide, B'Elanna added, "She was born two minutes after we burst into the Alpha Quadrant." 

A shout from behind caught everyone's attention. Cathy, who had slid off Sekaya's lap with no one noticing, was now standing on the pool table glaring at Gerron and Ayala. "Show me!" She ordered them. T'Meni, on the ground looking up at her, was smirking. 

"Oh for fucks sake," Phoebe muttered. Everyone around her laughed. Louder, Cathy's mother called, " Get off of the pool table and apologize to the gentlemen. You. Are. Three. Not thirty." Cathy pouted but allowed Ayala to pick her up and put her down next to T'Meni. Phoebe grinned, then added, "Leave the hustling to your aunt until you're older. She'll show you then."

"Phoebe!" Kathryn yelped as Chakotay and everyone roared with laughter. Gerron started blushing while Ayala and the rest of the crew laughed at him; Kathryn could see some other crew members explaining to their family.

"There is _definitely_ a story behind that statement," Sekaya said, looking at Chakotay expectantly. 

"Long story short...to merge our two crews into one, Kathryn… No. Proper Starfleet Legacy, protocol adherent, not a strand of hair out of place, admiral's daughter Captain Janeway-" he choked on a laugh. B'Elanna by this time was crying hysterically at the look of annoyance on Kathryn's face. "Where was I? Yes, right. Captain-" he broke off laughing again.

"What your brother is trying to say is that I played-" Kathryn sighed when Chakotay coughed 'hustled'. "Fine...I hustled...Mr Gerron and a few others from both crews at pool for replicator rations," she paused as Sekaya burst out laughing. "It broke the ice between the two crews by giving them something in common. Because not one of them ever saw it coming from, all places, me," she finished primly.

"Nope," Gerron and Ayala chorused from the pool table. 

"Not at all," a few others, including Tom, called. 

"It was glorious," B'Elanna told Sekaya, who laughed. "I think Mike has a few holo-images of the others being hustled. So... let's get going!"

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

After a discussion with Seven and Tuvok, who originally declined the invitation to Indiana but we're now joining them at Kathryn's insistence, Admiral Paris arranged for a runabout to shuttle the now sizable group home. As Tom and Harry piled stuff on board for Miral, T'Pel looked at B'Elanna and serenely said, "You'll learn." 

Gretchen and Phoebe laughed their agreement, then even harder when B'Elanna shot back, "You may have had four...but they were all good little Vulcans. This one's half Tom," her husband shot her a look and yelped "Hey!" as he trooped by with Sekaya's duffle bag and a crate, "and a quarter Klingon."

"Take note with T'Meni," Tuvok said, ignoring his granddaughter's gasp of outrage. "Vulcans do not begin to suppress emotions until they reach maturity. Now… try raising four."

B'Elanna pondered it as everyone settled into the runabout and Tom began the launch sequence. "What do you think?" She asked him.

"I think Tuvok had plenty of practice with his kids… probably how he survived all of us emotional beings while in the Delta Quadrant." Tom paused as his wife laughed. "I'll take a one quarter Klingon kid to four emotional Vulcan ones anyday."

"Quite right, Mr Paris," Tuvok agreed. 

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Kathryn asked him, shaking her head at Tom and Tuvok. The Doctor peered up at his captain from the computer console he was squinting at. "Do you need B'Elanna to adjust your visual subroutines?" She chuckled at the look he shot her, but immediately masked.

"You're _Voyager's_ medical hologram!" Sekaya said excitedly. "I had no idea. You're amazingly… um…"

"Sentient," Seven supplied. 

"Yes! It's amazing! Most holograms I've met…" she trailed off, blushing. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright. I understand," The Doctor said surprisingly gentle. "My original programming was adaptive. We really had no choice but to expand it the longer I stayed online."

We?" B'Elanna said pointedly.

"Yes, exactly." He completely missed the engineer rolling her eyes. "As to the captain's original question: I'm trying to arrange the holo-images in somewhat chronological order. There aren't many from the beginning of the… er…"

"We're going with journey," Chakotay told him. 

"But plenty after I got my mobile emmiter and free rein of the ship." 

"Cathy, leave Seven alone," Phoebe said without even turning around. "You know you don't touch people without their permission."

"How?!" The toddler, frozen in place a hand a few centimeters from Seven's ocular implant, demanded. When her mother didn't answer, she huffed off to the other side of the runabout, T'Meni following. Seven raised an eyebrow, impressed. 

Phoebe glanced at Kathryn, who was smirking. "Eyes on the back of my head. They grow during pregnancy."

"You saw her reflection in the transporter console," Kathryn countered. Chakotay laughed. "Why are you laughing? You believed her."

"I did not!" He exclaimed, grunting when she elbowed him in the diaphragm. "That's where she elbow dropped me. Keep it up and I'll be too sore to make-" he stopped himself short when he saw Cathy looking up at him. "Hi," Chakotay mumbled at her as she held her hands up. He picked her up and settled her in his lap. " Shut up," he told Kathryn playfully pecking a kiss on her lips when he caught sight of her laughing.

"Their dynamic has taken on a whole other facet," Seven observed to Harry.

"That's cause they're finally… you know…" Harry stammered, blushing.

"Having intimate-"

"Kissy facing," Jonathan cut her off, waving at Cathy and T'Meni, who had climbed up onto her grandfather's lap. Seven nodded her apology to him. "But yes… that's exactly why." 

Turning back to Harry, Seven asked, "Why have you been so quiet?"

"Just watching everyone," he said happily. "Look how happy everyone is. Tom's flying on Earth." He chuckled when the pilot waved to him over his shoulder. "B'Elanna… well, she's… working..." 

"She is breastfeeding her offspring," Seven stated bluntly.

B'Elanna laughed. When Harry blushed again, she told him, "It's perfectly natural, Starfleet."

"Stop looking at my wife!" Tom called from the cockpit. "Is he blushing?" He asked Jonathan, who was closest to him.

"He's brick red," Jonathan replied. Tom laughed. 

"This is why I stay quiet," Harry told Seven. 

"Understandable," she replied. 

"Are we there yet?" Cathy whined. 

"No," Tom told her.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Why?"

"Another half hour."

"Why?"

"Because I can't fly as fast as I'd like."

"Why?"

"Because there are rules."

Before Cathy could as why again, Harry stepped in with, "Since when do you obey the rules?"

"Since Captain Janeway told me I had to." 

"Why?" Cathy asked.

"Because she's the captain. Ha! You can't "why" that!" Cathy pulled a face and snuggled deeper into Chakotay's arms. He kissed her cheek and she smiled at him. "Just like her aunt… all it takes is a little kiss to make her smile." Kathryn pulled the same face and he kissed her. 

When Cathy muttered "ew", she slid off his lap and walked up to the cockpit. Chakotay kissed Kathryn even harder. Making him work for it with a few more kisses, she eventually smiled at him. 

"Hi," Cathy said to Tom, plopping into the co-pilot's seat. 

"Hi yourself," he replied while performing a systems check. "Don't touch anything," he told her, locking out her panel. 

"Your patience is very impressive," T'Pel told Tom.

"I've been practicing with your husband. I do have a half Klingon wife," he dodged the burp blanket B'Elanna balled up and threw at him, "and a newborn… what more could try my patience?"

"A toddler," Phoebe deadpanned. The runabout was silent for a moment, then everyone burst out laughing.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Tom landed the runabout in the fallow corn fields behind the house. Kathryn and Chakotay turned off towards the guest house to change out of their uniforms, while everyone else trooped up to the main house.

"You have thirty minutes for a… shower… Katie," Phoebe, wrangling Cathy so she couldn't follow, called to her sister as Kathryn opened the guest house door while kissing Chakotay. 

"He only needs ten-" She was cut off as the door was slammed shut from behind. Chakotay shot her a glare then walked down the corridor to the bedroom. "Don't be mad, sweetheart. She knows I was only joking." 

Joining him in the bedroom, Kathryn found Chakotay barechested and grumbling under his breath. As he began to unbutton his uniform trousers, she paused in the doorway to watch. He in return paused as she began to unzip her jacket. "We can share the shower..." She offered as an olive branch, slowly and seductively sliding her jacket off and onto the floor. 

"Fine," he said as he dropped his trousers. Kathryn growled her appreciation. Uniform layers when quickly flying all over the room. 

They made it to the main house forty five minutes later. 

"Well...well...look who finally showed up, " Tom teased them as Kathryn and Chakotay came through the back door. "Have fun?"

"What's all this?" Chakotay asked about the crate of wine Tom was unpacking, ignoring his innuendo. 

"Captain Picard sent it along with your sister as a welcome home gift for us. Well… probably for Captain Janeway. But I'm sure she'll share."

Kathryn picked up a bottle. "Chateau Picard, La Barre, France, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2371. Sounds... delicious. I just might not share." She chuckled as Tom's face fell. "I'm joking. Get some glasses and we'll open a few bottles."

"Where did Sekaya run into Captain Picard?" Chakotay asked as she uncorked a bottle and poured generous servings for the three of them, emptying one bottle.

"How do you think she got to Earth so fast?" Tom asked him. When Chakotay shrugged he told him, "The _Enterprise_ was patrolling the border of the Neutral Zone. Dad rerouted them to pick Sekaya up. They rendezvoused around halfway with the _Challenger_ , who bought her to Earth."

"Your father rerouted two Galaxy class starships to shuttle my sister?" 

"Well… you were one half of the command team that got a Fleet Admiral's son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter home. From the Delta Quadrant. In seven years not seventy-five, so… yeah," Tom trailed off shrugging. He lifted his glass and said, "To my command team… well… thanks. For everything."

"Cheers, Tom," Kathryn told him as they all took a sip. 

"You've started without us?" Phoebe asked in mock outrage from the doorway. Kathryn laughed at her. "Come on! Doc's all set up. Let's open some more bottles and get sloshed."

"You really need a drink, huh?" Tom asked her as they set up a tray of wine glasses.

"I. Have. A. Toddler." When Chakotay laughed she added, "You thought sleepless nights with a newborn were bad… wait two years, Tommy. They're not called the Terrible Twos... and Threes… for nothing. So, yes. I. Drink."

Tom flinched. "Well… let's get you sloshed then!" 

Phoebe picked up the tray while Chakotay took the crate. When they entered the living room, B'Elanna called, "What were you doing that took so long?" 

"Chakotay," Kathryn replied, smirking when everyone laughed. Chakotay pretended to be shocked. 

"I was asking Tom… but good for you," B'Elanna laughed as Kathryn blushed slightly. She punched Chakotay playfully on the arm. He chuckled as snuggled Kathryn close as they settled in with a bottle of wine and their glasses.

Once Cathy and T'Meni were settled in a corner with plenty of toys and books, they proceeded to ignore the adults. B'Elanna checked on Miral, tucked away in a bassinet in the opposite corner, then joined Tom on one of the couches and chairs that were gathered around a large screen. 

"Now that everyone… I mean everything… is done; let's get started," The Doctor said with a smirk. Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I thought you'd be more grateful I administered birth control booters to both of you during your exit exams. Just in case…"

"Oh… thank goodness!" Kathryn exclaimed, dropping her head into Chakotay's lap. He laughed at her sigh of relief. "I love you. But…"

"Not now," he finished. She winked at him. 

"If you were worried why were you two still…" He paused to check that Cathy and T'Meni were not listening, but still went with "kissyfacing." When Kathryn shot him in of her glares, he continued, "I verbally told both of you _and_ it was also in your leave paperwork." 

"Sorry… You must have told us when we had a bunch of admirals yapping in our ears. And my paperwork must be one of the million PADDs I left on my desk."

"Nevermind. First slide… The Hustler," The Doctor began. Everyone but Kathryn, who rolled her eyes, laughed at the image of the captain playing pool with Lieutenant Andrews and Ann Smithee. Kes, Neelix, Chakotay, Tom, Gerron, and quite a number from both crews were in the background widely grinning because they knew what was about to happen. 

The next slide showed Andrews and Smithee disgruntled while Kathryn stood next to Chakotay, who was clearly struggling to keep a straight face, counting her ill-gotten gains. "Do you even feel a tiny bit bad about hustling a bunch of kids out of their rations?" B'Elanna asked her.

"Not in the least," Kathryn replied, not even batting an eye. "I didn't touch my own rations for weeks. All that yummy coffee was on my crew." 

The next holo-images were of birthday parties, their first Prixin, Christmas, and First Contact Day celebrations, with general day to day snapshots mixed in. "It didn't look all bad," Sekaya commented as they looked at a slide of her brother and B'Elanna in the Mess Hall suspiciously eyeing up whatever Neelix had concocted that day. The Talaxian was beaming at them from his galley. The following slide was of them exchanging glances, Chakotay grinning at the look of horror on B'Elanna's face.

"What was that he cooked that made even a Klingon take pause?" Chakotay called to B'Elanna.

"All I remember is that it moved more than _gagh_ … and that my stomachs weren't happy with me for days," she called back. 

Everyone laughed. To his sister, Chakotay said, "The journey had its bad moments… but it also had its good." 

"Your hair's still salt and pepper there," she pointed out. Tom choked on a sip of wine while Harry and B'Elanna tried not to laugh, she added, "I'm his sister… I can go there. Is he blushing?" She asked Kathryn. 

"Oh yeah," Kathryn told her. "I understood why he did it. On average _, Voyager_ has a very young crew. Though I personally thought the salt and pepper was way more sexy." 

"Really…? Then it'll make a comeback," Chakotay winked at her.

"Yum."

When the image of a silhouetted Kathryn holding a newborn Naomi appeared, everyone stopped talking. 

"Oh... that's beautiful," Phoebe finally breathed. "Who took that?"

"I did," The Doctor told her. "After the chaos of the day had settled down, the captain came to Sickbay to check on Ensign Wildman and Naomi. This is one of the first images I ever took." 

"Can I get a copy of that?" Kathryn asked quietly. 

"Of course."

The next slide was of Kes in Sickbay, studying, with another of The Doctor and Kes in a teaching moment. "That was me," Tom called when The Doctor couldn't figure out who had taken the images. More followed of celebrations and parties, then, finally, "Seven!" everyone exclaimed. 

"That is from one of my earliest days aboard. Captain Janeway asked me if I was having fun and I told her no." Seven paused as everyone laughed. "I am still learning, but now I would know to answer 'Yes, I am enjoying myself immensely, Captain'. Even if I was not." She smiled slightly when Kathryn snorted with laughter.

"It's the party we had after Doc got back from contacting Command!" Harry called out at the next slide. "Man...that was a _party_!"

"We had a reciprocating one here," Gretchen called out from the back. She was keeping an eye on the children. 

There were more day to day shots, then one of Kathryn holding a rose with what was clearly Starfleet Academy behind her. "What? How?" Phoebe and Sekaya both stuttered.

"That is most definitely going to be classified. Sorry. Next." Kathryn commanded. To Chakotay she whispered, "Did you take that?"

"Yes. It's my favorite. It'll be on my desk wherever I land next." She smiled up at him then planted a kiss on his cheek. 

"I'm bored," Cathy announced from her table and chairs. She and T'Meni were eyeing the adults up with interest.

"Mommy's had too much Momma Juice to entertain you, Catherine." Phoebe told her, grinning when B'Elanna choked on her ice tea. 

The wine had been flowing freely. And all they had to eat was cheese and crackers. Most of the adults were on their way to being drunk. "Why don't we order some pizzas or something," Tom suggested. "Try building those gingerbread house kits I saw in the kitchen. Then after bedtime we can finish up with the holo-images." 

"Yay! Pizza!" Cathy yelled. 

"What is a gingerbread house?" Seven inquired. Kathryn and Phoebe exchanged gleeful glances. 

Unfortunately for them, an hour later the former drone had constructed the perfect gingerbread house, an exact duplicate of the one on the box's cover. And she was spotlessly clean. "It's because she hasn't drunk anything." Phoebe grumbled as her, Kathryn, and Chakotay's house collapsed. 

"Seven doesn't drink. She got sloshed on a glass of syntholic champagne once," B'Elanna told her. The engineer's gingerbread train set rivaled Seven's house. 

"It was an unusual but pleasant experience," Seven mused. "I have debated trying it again."

"Try it here, where you're safe," Kathryn told her. "Fuck!" She swore, giggling as their house collapsed again.

"I can't wait to see this," Chakotay muttered as Kathryn licked the icing off his fingers.

"More icing on the house, not on Chakotay, Katie," Phoebe groused at her. "You just want to lick it off of him."

"Fuck yeah I do," her sister told her. Chakotay chuckled as Kathryn smeared a dollop on his face then licked it off.

"Fuck!" Cathy started shrieking as Gretchen tried to clean her up. "Fuck!"

"Nice, Katie," Jonathan shot at her, throwing candy at his sister-in-law. Phoebe laughed as Chakotay used her as a shield.

"I doubt that is the first time she has heard that word," Tuvok said as T'Pel put the finishing touches on their house. He then caught sight of T'Meni eating the candy instead of decorating her and Cathy's train set with it. The little girl just stared back at her grandfather as she slowly chewed what was in her mouth. 

"Fuck no it isn't," Phoebe agreed. "For a while there she was completing the phrase 'What the-'"

"Fuck!" Cathy promptly finished. Sekaya spit out her sip of wine as Jonathan tried to hush his daughter. "Pizza!" The toddler yelled when the door chime rang. 

"I need to sop up some alcohol," Kathryn announced as Chakotay licked some icing off of her face. "Oh look… there's some just right there…" she trailed off as she sucked on his bottom lip. Kathryn giggled as he kissed her hard.

B'Elanna laughed. "Is it bad I'm glad I'm sober?" She asked T'Pel as they watched Tom tossing candy at Harry, who was trying to catch it in his mouth. "Lucky you're a pilot, not a tactical officer… you keep missing." She rolled her eyes as Tom and Harry dissolved into giggles as a piece of candy bounced off his forehead. 

"I like this," Seven announced after her first sip of wine. "It is very… fruity."

"That's because it's made from grapes," The Doctor told her dryly. 

"That's the only glass you're having," Gretchen told her as she set up an assembly line of plates, napkins, a quickly tossed salad, and pizza boxes. "Make it last all night." She stepped back and out of the way, then announced, "Food's ready."

The children were fed first then quickly shuffled off to bed by Gretchen. They didn't go quietly when they realized how much fun the adults were being. Kathryn picked vegetables off Chakotay's pizza and fed them to him in between his own bites. Tuvok seemed impressed by the sheer amount of food Harry and Tom were putting away. Sekaya watched Seven attempt to figure out how to eat a piece of pizza without silverware, on a dare from Tom. She and B'Elanna finally took pity on her. The Doctor snapped holo-images while Gretchen and T'Pel sat back and watched the _Voyager_ senior staff interact with one another.

"No wonder they made it home when and how they did," Gretchen murmured to T'Pel, who was watching Tom tease Tuvok. 

"They are a family as well as a crew. Mr. Paris teases, but he does it with love," T'Pel replied. 

"They are amazing," Sekaya agreed, joining them in their observations. She smiled at her brother’s and Kathryn's antics. "I've never seen Chakotay so happy and relaxed."

"Same goes for Katie," Gretchen told her.

"They are _t'hy'la_ ," T'Pel told them. "Soulmates," she translated for the humans. "Both as friends and lovers."

Sekaya was quiet for a moment, then said, "I know Vulcans don't just throw that word around."

"No," T'Pel agreed. "We do not. The captain and the commander share a special relationship that consists of many layers." 

"In the native language of my people it's _media naranja,"_ Sekaya told her.

Chakotay, overhearing her, whispered to Kathryn, "'The other half of my soul'." He reciprocated Kathryn's wide smile. "You are. You calmed the Angry Warrior. I love you." 

"I love you too," she whispered back, leaning in and kissing him reverently.

"Spare us, please…get a room!" Their staff began to call out. 

"When did you learn our language?" Sekaya asked. 

Chakotay ignored them all. Brushing a stray lock of hair aside, he felt himself sobering up as he just gaze upon Kathryn’s face. "How did I get so lucky?" 

Kathryn, sobering up herself, traced his tattoo with her finger. "I ask myself the same question."

"Marry me," he whispered. "Please."

"Yes." 

"Really?!" He grinned, speaking a bit louder. 

"Yes!" She was going to say more, but paused as she realized it had fallen silent. Looking over at the table they saw that their staff and family were watching them. "Yes?" She asked them, eyebrow raised. 

"Did he just… And you said…" Tom sputtered

"Yes and yes," Chakotay told him.

Since most of them were still slightly drunk it took them all a moment for what he was saying to sink in. When it did there was an explosion of chatter and cheers of congratulations. Each took a turn hugging everyone and plans were being formulated when a resounding crash from upstairs echoed through the house. 

There was a moment of absolute silence, then they heard T'Meni call out, "Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine," which of course sent an instantly sobered up Jonathan and Phoebe scrambling upstairs, T'Pel following behind. Tuvok laid his head on the table and sighed loudly.

"Oh. My. God. Cathy! T'Meni!" Jonathan’s voice rang out a few minutes later. "Bathroom. Now."

Jonathan appeared a few minutes after that. He looked at the crew at the table who were looking expectedly at him and burst into laughter. He was hysterical for a bit, but finally managed to get out, "They're both covered from head to toe in talcum powder and moisturizer."

"Debriefings. Wedding… You still want children?" Kathryn looked at Chakotay a dubious expression on her face. 

"Only if they're just like Cathy." At her raised eyebrow, he added, "We'd be bored otherwise." He returned her knowing grin. "We'll handle it together, like we always have…"

"And like we always will," she finished.


End file.
